


If Maleficent Won...

by DarkangelLolo



Category: Descendants (Disney Movies)
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Maleficent got the wand, what happens next
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-29
Updated: 2020-02-19
Packaged: 2021-01-08 04:54:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 9
Words: 9,111
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21230129
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DarkangelLolo/pseuds/DarkangelLolo
Summary: Mal didn't wrestle the wand away from Jane. She had no time. Her mother was there in just the blink of an eye....orWhat happened if Mal didn't defeat her mother at the end of Descendants.





	1. And so it begins...

Mal didn't wrestle the wand away from Jane. She had no time. Her mother was there in just the blink of an eye, freezing the poor girl and grabbing the wand from her. After that things passed in a haze. She watched as Fairy Godmother managed to disappear with the King-Father and Queen, who were closest to her. Ben wasn't so lucky. He didn't escape as he went forward to defend Jane from Maleficent's wrath.   
Jay, Evie and Carlos came running through the doors, their parents appearing a few steps in front of them. Oh god. This was really happening. The villains were taking Auradon. There was only one way to survive.  
She quickly put on her meanest smirk, hiding the pain as she watched her mother's henchmen appear and grab Ben. Maleficent turned towards her.  
"Mother."  
Ben turned his head to look at her with wide eyes as he saw her look.  
"Daughter."  
Maleficent returned the smirk.  
"And now it begins."  
"Mal, this isn't-"  
Mal flicked her wrist. Ben tried to finish his sentence, but no words came out. The daughter of Maleficent sneered at him.  
"This IS me."  
Ben looked at her pleadingly. Mal flicked her wrist again, and he fell into the arms of the henchmen, unconscious. Jay, Carlos and Evie came to stand behind her with their meanest looks on. If this was happening, they needed to be on their parents side. It was the only way to save themselves from a lot of pain, and the only way to have a chance to reverse this whole mess.  
~ ~ ~   
Ben woke in the dungeons, locked in chains. He closed his eyes, silently praying this was all just a nightmare. He heard a sniffle from the cell across from his and glanced up to see Jane with a black eye. He sat up instantly.  
"Jane, are you alright?"  
Jane startled slightly.  
"I'm so sorry."  
"It's okay, it's not-you didn't know."  
He had been about to say it's not your fault, but that would be a blatant lie. Even if she hadn't meant to, grabbing the wand HAD unleashed Maleficent. He was never good at lying… Jane huffed out a half-laugh half-sob.  
"Jane, you didn't know."  
He stood, walking to the front of his cell so he could see her clearer.  
"Yes, but I shouldn't have messed with magic!"  
He sat down, leaning his back against the side of the cell. He couldn't really argue with that.  
"Did they hurt you?"  
She shook her head.  
"Audrey punched me."  
He sat up straighter.  
"What?!"  
She nodded once, staring at her lap.  
"She shouldn't have done that. You didn't mean for this to happen."  
"But it did! The Villains have taken over because of me!"  
"There's still hope! Your mom got away, so did my parents. They'll go to a neighboring kingdom and get help."  
"Are you so sure of that, young king?"  
A new voice spoke in a mocking tone. Ben quickly stood up. He'd recognize her voice anywhere.  
"Maleficent."  
"That's queen now."  
Jane crawled to the back of her cell, as far away from Maleficent as she could get. Maleficent just glanced over and chuckled maniacally.  
"You're no queen."  
Ben stood his ground even as she lifted her scepter. Magic pulsed through him, shooting pain flaring through his body. He cried out, falling to his knees.  
"You should bow to your queen."  
"You're not my queen."  
He got the words out through the pain, though it intensified by ten. Ben cried out again, bending forward slightly.  
"When I'm done with you, you'll proclaim it for all the world to hear."  
~ ~ ~ ~  
Mal paced her new room in the castle, her three friends by her side.  
"Mal-"  
"I know."  
"But-"  
"I know!"  
Evie quieted down. Jay was anxiously drumming his foot on the ground. Carlos sat on the bed, staring blankly at the ceiling.  
"We play along. It's what we've always had to do."  
"Audrey punched Jane."  
Carlos spoke up from the bed, sitting up.  
"And I couldn't even help her."  
Mal froze. For a good few minutes there was nothing but silence, then a smirk crossed her features.  
"We play along. Think about it. Our parents will reward us for our good behavior. How will they reward us? They'll give us Auradonians as slaves."  
The three looked at her in shock before a smile spread on Jay's lips.  
"And the best way to get them out of the dungeon and to safety is after we've been good enough long enough to receive slaves."  
"You're a genius Mal."  
Evie's smile matched Jay's.  
"I can get Mommy to give me Doug, keep him alive and away from her. As long as he stays in my room, he'll be safe."  
"We just need to do what they say while we figure out a way to get them to give us Auradonian slaves. And then we can make our escape. All of us with Jane, Doug, and Ben."  
"Where will we go?"  
"I don't know yet. We'll figure something out. We've got time."  
"Do they?"  
Evie looked so much more serious than she ever had before as she asked. Mal nodded.  
"Mother will keep Ben alive, though she'll probably tor-torture him."  
She stumbled over the word, fear flooding through her at the thought of the pain Ben was going to go through. She couldn't save him from the start of it, but she'd save him from living like that forever. There was no way her mother would get tired of hurting Ben. She'd make it last years and years. But if Mal was good enough- or bad enough, really- she'd be able to save him a few months down the line. She silently prayed for him to hold on. If he broke before she could save him, she'd never forgive herself.  
"Your mother could care less about one of the dwarves' sons, no offense to Doug. But that works in your favor. And Jane, well, mother might give her to me and I can give her to you, Carlos. Technically Jane helped mother get the wand, so she'll have less of a bone to pick with her."  
"Unless she tries to use her to get Fairy Godmother to come back."  
"Fairy Godmother isn't that gullible. And besides, making her my slave would definitely be a good way to get Fairy Godmother's attention."  
"That's true."  
Carlos spoke up, nodding slowly.  
"And you'll give her to me?"  
"I'll get it cleared with Mother after I own her for a certain amount of time. Then I can work on getting Ben."  
~ ~ ~ ~  
Ben threw up in the corner of the cell, everything from the last week coming up. He barely kept himself from falling into the pile of vomit, crawling away from that corner. His chains dragged against the ground. Jane spoke from across the hall, in her own cell.  
"Ben-"  
"I'm okay."  
He muttered out softly, resting his back against the nearest wall. He tried to slow his breathing, feeling the bruises across his body. Maleficent had had fun torturing him for a good couple hours. She used a mix of her magic and her henchmen's fists, but he hadn’t given in. He wouldn't call her queen. He knew she'd be back.  
~ ~ ~ ~  
Maleficent returned to the dungeons the next day, using her magic to force the teenage king to his knees.  
"You WILL call me queen."  
"No."  
She forced pain into his body, the boy crying out.   
"Whip him."  
Two of her henchmen opened his cell. They forced his jacket and shirt off. His torso was already covered in bruises.  
Magic held him in place as one of the guards pulled out a whip. Ben held his breath, biting his cheek. He wouldn't cry out, wouldn't give her the satisfaction.  
That thought left his mind as the whip hit his back for the first time. He barely held back a cry, blood pooling in his mouth from how hard he bit down on his cheek. The whip came down again. Five lashes. Ten. Ben finally let out a cry at fifteen, losing count soon after.  
Jane held a hand over her mouth, silently crying in the back of her cell as she watched Ben's torture. Ben had made her promise to keep quiet earlier. He didn't want her drawing attention to herself and ending up feeling Maleficent's wrath.  
"Stop."  
Ben's chest heaved with effort as he tried to breathe through the pain flaring across his abused back. Maleficent stepped into his cell.  
"All this can end with one word."  
He shook his head.  
"Never."  
His voice was shaking slightly, but still firm. Maleficent waved her hand towards the guards and the abuse continued.  
~ ~ ~ ~  
Mal watched through Evie's mirror, tears in her eyes, before Evie finally threw the mirror face down on the bed.   
"We have to keep pretending, Mal. It's the only way to save him."  
"I know. I know, it's just-"  
"Harder than it was before."  
Jay finished for her. Mal nodded, wiping her tears away.  
"But we have to be strong. For them."  
"For them."  
Evie repeated. Jay and Carlos followed suit.  
"For them."  
~ ~ ~ ~  
Jane moved to the front of her cell, watching Ben's shaking form. The guards and Maleficent had finally left. Ben lay on the ground, trembling arms trying to pull himself into a sitting position.  
"Ben-"  
"'M okay."  
He muttered. Of course he would say that. He was too good sometimes, trying to lessen her worry for him when he clearly was nowhere near okay.  
"Lay still for now. It might hurt less."  
Luckily he listened to her and stopped trying to sit up. He lay on his side, a tremble occasionally running through his body. Jane watched him worriedly.  
She felt helpless, unable to do anything but sit and watch as her friend was slowly tortured to death. And it had only been a week.


	2. Chapter 2

A week turned into two, then three, until finally a month had passed. Ben took torture nearly every day from Maleficent and her guards. Jane practically begged him to give in and call her queen, just to get it to stop. He wasn't able to walk on his own anymore.  
Maleficent had enjoyed breaking his leg in multiple places. She left his right leg intact, for the moment.  
Ben's right arm was broken, as was his left wrist. His back was coated in welts and lash-marks. Bruises covered nearly every inch of him, but not his face. The Mistress of Evil wanted him to be able to call her queen and look at her when he said it, so the guards didn't touch his face.  
Jane sat near the bars of her cell, watching Ben breathe heavily. Maleficent had just left.  
She started talking about anything she could think of other than this hell they were living. Talking seemed to help Ben a little.  
They heard bootsteps coming towards them. Instantly Jane shut up, shrinking towards the back of her cell. Ben didn't even bother tensing, the action would take too much energy that he didn't have to spare.  
Two guards came in front of their cells, one of them thrusting the key into Jane's. She almost had a panic attack. Ben tried to pull himself up.  
"No-"  
"Quiet!"  
The guards came into her cell. Jane put up no resistance, too terrified to do anything other than whimper when they grabbed her.  
"Leave her alone."  
Ben managed to get to his knees, crying out in pain as his broken leg shifted. The guards just chuckled and pulled Jane out of the dungeon.  
She trembled between them as they led her towards the upper floor. Jane recognized it as the living floor, where the royal family's bedrooms were. Oh god…  
Jane was pushed into a room and forced to her knees. Again she offered no resistance, looking around fearfully. Mal entered the room.  
"You can leave us. My magic will keep my new slave in her place."  
The word slave made cold fear pool in Jane's heart. The guards chuckled darkly and left, closing the door behind them. Mal did a spell that soundproofed the room before turning to Jane. Her face changed, the evil look melting away into one more concerned.  
"Are you okay, Jane?"  
Jane stared in confusion.  
"Jane?"  
Her eyes widened hopefully.  
"Ben. Y-you have to help Ben."  
Mal bent down in front of her.  
"I know. I'm trying. It's taking time."  
"But Ben-"  
"I know."  
"She's torturing him!"  
"I know. But if I don't do this carefully, Mother will torture him for years instead of months. It's going to take a little longer than any of us would like. Mother finally gave me you, so that's a good first step. Evie has Doug, so we just need to wait a couple months before I ask Mother for Ben."  
"A-ask?"  
Mal nodded, sighing.  
"Things are really twisted out here, Jane. The best way we could think to free some of you is to have our parents give you to us as slaves. We're going to run away once we have Ben. I need you to do a magic oath so you can't reveal any of this information. It's our only chance."  
Jane nodded vigorously.  
"I'll take the oath. I won't mess up again. This is all my fault-"  
"No. It's not. My mother has been planning this for years. If I hadn't made you feel unsure about how pretty you really are, you never would have grabbed the wand. I'm sorry about that, Jane. You're beautiful just like you are. You don't need magic to look better."  
A few tears gathered in Jane's eyes. That's all she'd ever wanted to hear before this whole mess started.  
"Ben's being tortured because I was so stupid and grabbed the wand."  
Mal reached a hand out, taking one of Jane's.  
"It's not your fault, okay? It was mine. I should've told Fairy Godmother that my mother wanted the wand. Then she would have been a lot more careful with it."  
"Y-you knew?"  
Mal nodded.  
"That's why Mother allowed the four of us to come to Auradon."  
"B-but you're going to help us?"  
Jane whispered unsurely. Mal nodded, making sure to keep eye contact.  
"Yes. We're trying to help. We have to play along to our parents' wishes for now, but we're going to get you and Doug and Ben away from here and somewhere safe where no one will look for us. Once Ben's healed, we can join the rebellion."  
Jane looked so relieved.  
"I need you to take that magic vow now. Before my mother comes to check on us. I'm going to act vey mean in front of her, and I need you to go along with it. Act scared. Be scared. It's my Mother, everyone's afraid of her. I'll protect you from her the best I can, but you need to do whatever I say when I say it. If I convince her you're now my obedient slave, I can give you to Carlos and work on getting Ben."  
~ ~ ~ ~  
Ben watched them take Jane away, internally beating himself up. He could barely move, let alone defend her. He squeezed his eyes shut in defeat. God, were they going to torture her? Kill her? He couldn't do anything, his leg giving out the second he tried to stand on it. Ben cried out before he could stop himself. He lay on the ground, panting heavily. It took a good twenty minutes for his breathing to calm down. He lay there, breathless and in pain.  
~ ~ ~ ~  
Mal waited two weeks before giving Jane to Carlos. It was a huge relief to Jane because Maleficent came to visit Mal a few times a week, and Jane was absolutely terrified of the Mistress of Evil. Luckily the magic oath kept her from revealing anything about the plan to Maleficent. She just looked like she was having a permanent nervous breakdown. Jane did whatever Mal ordered her to do since Mal only gave her orders in front of Maleficent.  
Carlos lived in a different castle with his mother. Jane couldn't venture out of his room, but Cruella didn't come near it so that was okay. Carlos gave up the bed for her for the first week before she insisted they just share. If they woke up cuddled together, well, no one needed to know.  
~ ~ ~ ~  
Mal watched another one of Ben's torture sessions through the mirror, tears pooling in her eyes.  
~ ~  
Ben took the lashes without making a sound. He took the beating that followed just as silently, covering his head with his arms. They weren't supposed to aim for his head, but the occasional kick still came.  
He wasn't fully sure he COULD make a sound. He hadn’t spoken in weeks, not since they took Jane away. He stopped even answering Maleficent. Usually the punishment was worse if he bothered telling her no. He was holding on the best he could. Ben was fully aware things wouldn't get better if he gave in. They'd probably get worse. So he held on and took the pain.  
His leg had healed somewhat, only for her to break it all over again. If he ever got out of there he'd be lucky to be able to walk on it. If. Ben wasn't holding out much hope. He wasn't really sure just how much time had passed. Weeks, months, time blurred together. All that existed were Maleficent's visits, and he didn't know how frequent or far apart those were. Not anymore. He was usually unconscious between them. Sometimes he'd wake up drenched in water for the next session to begin. He didn't even know if it was night or day.  
Ben lay on his side, his back pressed against the wall. The cold stone soothed his throbbing back a little. He could barely move, and rarely expended the energy to try. It wasn't worth wasting what little strength he had left.  
~ ~ ~ ~  
"We have to get him out of there!"  
"We can't, your majesty. The castle is too well guarded."  
Belle watched her husband pace the room, barely keeping herself still. It had been two months. Two long months and Maleficent and the villains still had control of Auradon. They had a whole museum full of their artifacts just waiting to be put in their hands again.  
They had the wand.  
She swiped away the tears that escaped her eyes as she thought of her son.  
"You shouldn't have left Ben behind."  
"He ran out of my range, your majesty."  
It was a common argument, and Belle knew her husband didn't really blame Fairy Godmother. Like her, he blamed himself for getting saved while their son was left to suffer.  
They were getting nowhere. Correction: they were still getting nowhere. It had been two months and making countless allies with kingdoms that hadn't joined with Auradon and they still were getting nowhere. This was the hundred and fiftieth time they'd had this conversation.  
NOTHING was working.


	3. Chapter 3

Ben wasn't the only one that Maleficent visited, although her visits were far less frequent to the daughter of her storybook enemy. Audrey sat curled up in the back of her cell, tear streaks almost permanently on her face. She hadn't cried in a while, all the tears having dried out long ago, but dirt stained her face and left the tracks there. She was coated in a layer of dirt, underneath which lay a clear layer of bruises. She had her knees pulled close, her arms wrapped around them. Audrey jumped slightly at every sound, terrified it would be Maleficent back to torture her some more. She'd long since given in, calling Maleficent queen and begging her for mercy. It just made the Mistress of Evil laugh before she tortured the girl some more.  
Audrey knew she wasn't the nicest person, but she had never been evil. She wouldn't wish this kind of punishment on even her worst enemy. Especially now. She'd been broken down. There was no mercy from Maleficent. She'd stopped hoping for it, accepting her torture as punishment for every time she'd been mean to someone. She knew somewhere deep in her that she deserved this for punching Jane. Or for ever making fun of anybody. Maybe if she had actually been nice to Mal and the others they wouldn't have joined their parents.  
She flinched as bootsteps sounded down the hallway outside her cell. They'd only just been here. She had fresh lash marks across her back to prove it. Two guards stopped in front of her cell. Audrey tried to pull herself further back against the wall, bringing her arms up to protect her face. If they were coming back it meant a beating.  
The guards, however, grabbed her arms and hoisted her to her feet. She hadn't stood in nearly a month so she swayed slightly. Maleficent's henchmen didn't give her any time to adjust. They half-dragged her out of the cell and towards a set of stairs leading up.  
~ ~ ~ ~  
Mal looked up as her door opened, sprawled out on a chair in front of the window. Maleficent stepped in. The girl bowed her head slightly.  
"Mother, to what do I owe the honor?"  
"I come bearing gifts."  
Mal sat up. Her mother rarely gave her gifts. The last one had been Jane.  
"Thank you, Mother."  
Whatever or whoever it was, this couldn't be good for them. Mother had given her Jane because she believed that Mal would break her.  
Two of Maleficent's henchmen practically dragged in Audrey. They threw the girl to her knees. Audrey didn't even look up, just folded herself almost in half bowing. She didn't know where she was, or what was going on. All she knew was that Queen Maleficent was in the room, and being submissive to her always caused at least a little less pain.  
Mal's eyes widened just a hair before she managed to control herself. She let a smirk cross her lips and an evil glint enter her eye. She'd perfected the evil glint by making her magic flare into her eyes.  
"All mine, Mother?"  
Audrey flinched at her voice. Maleficent chuckled darkly.  
"Don't kill her. I want her to suffer. Anything else is acceptable."  
Mal let her smile grow darker.  
"Thank you, Mother."  
With that Maleficent left, closing the door behind her. Her henchmen had followed her out. Mal put up a sound-proofing spell before bending down in front of Audrey. She lifted the girl's chin. Audrey was shaking, nearly hyperventilating in her fear. Her eyes slowly met Mal's, for just the briefest second, and all Mal could see was fear and resignation. Audrey was nearly broken, if not all the way there from how her eyes darted back to the ground and she stammered out an apology.  
"Pl-please f-forgive me, princess."  
Any bitterness Mal had felt for the girl vanished as she uttered those words. She had definitely paid for anything and everything. And she deserved none of it. Mal knew her mother, knew what she was capable of. She knew how much her mother despised Aurora. And she'd seen how her mother dealt with people she believed had crossed her.  
Mal lifted Audrey's chin a little higher so the girl was forced to meet her eyes. She had let the evil glint fade from her eyes the instant the door had closed.  
"Are you alright, Audrey?"  
She knew it was a stupid question, but it seemed like one that might help normalize things for the girl. Audrey's eyes widened.  
The daughter of Aurora didn't answer. Instead her shaking got worse and she did actually start hyperventilating. The only thought going through her mind was that this was a trick question. If she answered yes, Mal would punish her, but if she answered no Mal would punish her more. She didn't realize she was having a panic attack until a steady voice broke through and started coaching her on how to breathe. Orders. Audrey could follow orders.  
Mal continued guiding Audrey through breathing exercises until the former princess was breathing normally. Audrey stared at the floor, flinching whenever Mal shifted.  
Mal sighed, standing up and grabbing her phone. Maybe Jane could get through to Audrey. She'd known her longer.  
~ ~ ~ ~  
Carlos brought Jane into the Queen's Castle, the girl shaking like a leaf. Mal had called and explained the situation, after using magic to secure the line from eavesdroppers.  
Jane followed him with her head bowed low, the perfect picture of submission. It was the only way to survive out in the open. Carlos and Mal had coached her for weeks on how to act if they had to bring her in public. Anything to maintain the facade.  
Mal opened her door, the two stepping in. The door closed and the soundproofing spell came up. Jane finally looked up. She gasped when she saw he state of Audrey, running towards the former princess.  
Audrey flinched when Jane dropped down next to her. The daughter of the Fairy Godmother hugged the trembling girl. They hadn't been close or anything before this madness, but she felt so sorry for Audrey when she saw her that the first thing she thought to do was hug her.  
Audrey shook more violently, but Jane didn't let go.  
"It's okay. It's Jane. Just Jane."  
The words came naturally to her for once. She felt like she was trying to calm a wounded animal, something she'd never actually done before. And it felt like if she failed Audrey would never get better.  
Jane kept muttering softly to the shaking girl. Audrey slowly focused her eyes on her, the glazed look slightly disappearing. It faded enough that recognition came into Audrey's eyes.  
"J-Jane?"  
Jane nodded reassuringly, the girl finally returning her hug desperately. Finally some human contact that wasn't causing her pain…  
~ ~ ~  
It took a lot of hard work on all their parts to bring Audrey back. She wasn't the person she used to be. Mal had Carlos and Jane over constantly since Jane actually got through to Aurora's daughter. After a week of Carlos and Jane practically living with Mal, Mal just had Jane move back in. When her mother raised a questioning eyebrow Mal said that it was so the girl learned how to follow orders. Fairy Godmother's daughter was VERY good at that…or so Maleficent thought.  
After another week of Jane living with them, Audrey was able to stop jumping fearfully every time Mal moved. Mal gave the girl to Jay because Jay's dad left him alone, and Maleficent never visited Jay. Maleficent's visits were severely hindering Audrey's progress.  
Jay took care of Audrey. He had a spare bed in his room that she slept in. Maleficent thought Mal had given Audrey away in order for Jay to finish breaking her, and they let her believe that. After all, it was the EVIL thing to do. God, all the V.K.'s couldn't understand how they had once embraced evil after seeing just how far their parents were willing to go.  
Jay also had Dude hidden away in his room, far from Cruella. The dog seemed to help Audrey a lot. A calm little ball of fur that would sit in her lap and lick her face. She'd never been fond of Dude before but having this breathing thing who gave her love unconditionally and allowed her to just pet him for hours helped calm her like nothing else.  
~ ~ ~ ~  
Ben curled his unbroken arm over his stomach. Hunger pains would have had him doubled over in pain if he wasn't already practically in a ball on the ground. He hadn't eaten in, well, months. Technically he had but it didn't really count. Once every couple of weeks the henchmen would come down, force him on his back and force-feed him through a tube. It was painful and he got just enough sustenance to keep him alive for a little longer. He would get maybe a half a cup of water a week, unless they decided to almost drown him.  
Maleficent had gotten more imaginative with her punishments as time went by. He was barely hanging on. Ben closed his eyes, picturing the green eyes of the girl he loved. God, where was Mal? Was she okay? Was she under a spell? She had to be. It was the only way she would follow her mother. He KNEW Mal. She WASN'T evil.  
One of the only things keeping him sane was thinking about how Mal needed him. If she was spelled he needed to be strong enough to break that spell for her, even if it killed him.


	4. Chapter 4

At the three month mark guards came into his cell and forced Ben up, leading him out of his cell. Ben shook between the guards, barely staying on his feet as they half-dragged him out of the dungeons. This was it, wasn't it? Maleficent was going to try to force him to call her queen in front of everyone. He wouldn't give in, although he wasn't sure how much longer he could last. It had to have been at least a few months since she first took over. Months of torture…

They pulled him past the throne room, towards the bedrooms. He kept his head down, focusing on walking. No doubt they'd drag him if he couldn't stay on his feet. Ben had no idea where they were leading him, but he doubted anything good would come from it.

The guards pulled him through an open door, shoving him to his knees. He finally looked up, eyes widening as he saw Mal. His head was quickly forced back down.

"Mal-"

She snapped her fingers and his voice disappeared.

"I didn’t say you could talk."

He tried to open his mouth again, but nothing came out. Ben looked up as best he could while keeping his head down.  
She was smirking. This wasn't the Mal he knew.

She circled him, the guards taking a few steps back. Mal fisted her hand in his hair, pulling his head back until he had to look at her.

"Do you know why you're here?"

He didn’t bother trying to answer, silently pleading with her to stop this madness. She let out an evil little giggle.

"You're my slave now."

Ben swallowed thickly. He was already coated in cuts, bruises and burns from Maleficent's torture. He wasn't sure he could take the abuse from the girl he loved…

She released him, shooing the guards out of the room and closing the door. Mal muttered a spell to soundproof the room.

With a snap of her fingers his voice came back, although it was still hoarse from the months of torture.

"Mal, this isn't y-"

He broke off as she kissed him. It took all of a second before he kissed her back. She broke it off, moving her head back far enough for him to look at her. Her eyes were softer now, like HIS Mal.

"Mal."

"I'm so sorry, Ben. This was the only way to get you away from her."

Relief flooded through him. 

"It was an act."

Mal nodded desperately, that evil glint gone from her eyes. Here was the Mal he knew… Ben rested his forehead against  
hers, breathing her in.

"Ben?"

She spoke softly, not moving away from him.

"I thought I lost you. I thought she put you under a spell or something."

"No."

Mal met his gaze, and he saw nothing but love reflected back at him.

"We have to get out of here."

He looked at her confusedly.

"What?"

"Evie, Jay, Carlos, Audrey, Doug and Jane are coming. We're going to get you guys out of here. There's a safe place for all of us to go. I'm sorry we couldn’t get more, but it was hard enough convincing our parents to give us the four of you. We have to go, Ben. She's not going to stop hurting you if you stay. If we leave, we take you away as her bargaining piece."

Ben slowly nodded. What she said made sense. He didn't want to leave anyone behind, but there was only so much he could take before he did break. He didn't want to admit to himself just how close she was to succeeding…

He leaned forward and kissed Mal again, savoring the feeling of her against him. Any second he would wake up… Mal gently brushed a hand through his hair. Ben let out a shaky breath, trying to convince himself this was real. He squeezed his eyes shut.

"Ben?"

"I don't want to wake up."

Mal touched a bruise on his arm, just hard enough to send a small shock of pain. Hs eyes jumped open.

"It's real. I'm real. I promise."

She ran her fingers gently through his hair, one hand cupping his cheek. He leaned into her soft touch, willing himself to believe her.


	5. Chapter 5

There was a knock on the door, startling Ben. He jumped slightly, fear coursing through him.

"It's okay. It's our friends."

Mal squeezed his hand comfortingly, kissing his forehead and standing up. She let go of his hand.

Mal opened the door. Carlos and Jane stood on the other side. Ben watched with wide eyes as they entered, barely believing his eyes. Luckily he had enough sense not to talk until the door was closed.

"Jane?"

Jane looked up from the ground. She smiled slightly, relieved to see her friend and king. Her expression quickly morphed into concern though; Ben looked terrible. Jane kneeled by his side, arms coming out to hug him. She froze, hesitant to touch him and end up hurting him. Ben grinned, leaning towards her and accepting the hug.

Carlos moved to sit by his other side.

"Good to see you, man."

Ben smiled a little wider.

"You too."

His voice was barely above a whisper, hoarse from months of disuse and torture. 

Mal kneeled in front of him again, taking his hand. He held it tightly, using her touch to stay grounded in the moment. The door was knocked on again. Carlos stood.

"I'll get it."

He opened the door just enough to see who was there before letting in Evie, Doug, Jay and Audrey. Audrey couldn't hold back a gasp as she saw the state of Ben.

The door was closed and locked.

"We need to go. Everyone gather in a circle around me and Ben. Hold hands."

Their friends followed Mal's orders, forming a circle around the two of them. Mal used her free hand to grip Jay's shoulder, since he was closest to her.

"Take us to a place, far from villain's eyes. The place we will be safe, where we can hide. Take us to Castle Freedom, the home of none."

A purple mist swirled around them, clouding their vision. As it faded away they found themselves in a big room with a couch and some chairs. 

"Where are we?"

Ben whispered, eyes having left Mal's for only a second to glance around.

"Look outside."

She motioned towards a nearby window. Ben couldn't see anything through the foggy glass. Mal gently tugged his hand, standing up. With her and Jay's help he got to his feet. He leaned on them both, limping weakly between them towards the window. Mal used one hand to open it.

Cold air burst through the opening. It was snowing heavily outside. Ben could see a couple penguins in the distance. He looked to Mal questioningly.

"Antarctica. I used magic to make the house. We're safe here, and we'll be warm. There's magic keeping the place warm. No one will look for us here."

Ben shivered with the cold air. Mal quickly shut the window again.

"Let's get you to a bed so I can take a look at your injuries."

She and Jay helped Ben walk out of the living room. The house was huge, a mansion by all standards. Jay opened the first door they passed. Luckily it was a bedroom and they managed to get Ben to the bed.

"Thanks Jay, I got it from here."

The teen nodded, backing out of the room. Mal sat on the edge of the bed. Ben was lying on his side, the soft bed a huge step up from the dungeon floor. His girlfriend held his hand, her free hand running through his hair. The same soothing motion as before. It worked its own magic, grounding him and keeping him focused on her.

"I'm going to run a magical scan. It will tell me what all your injuries are. I can't heal them with magic, though. I'm a dark faery. The only healing magic we can do is a scan."

Ben squeezed her hand gently. He could tell from her expression that she wanted to do more for him, and it frustrated her that she couldn't.

"It's okay, Mal. Thank you."

Slowly Mal let go of his hand, holding her hand over his body. She muttered something softly, moving her hand from his head down to his feet. She never stopped playing with his hair.

After a minute a tear escaped her eyes.

"I'm so sorry Ben."

Ben reached out for her with a shaking hand, resting it on her cheek.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~  
Mal got Ben's wounds cleaned. Jay came back in and set his broken bones. Next, with Jay and Carlos's help, Ben managed to take a shower and get changed into some clean clothes. It felt amazing and normal, something he hadn't had a chance to even think of while he was in the dungeons. The two V.K.'s helped him back to the bed after, where Mal was waiting with a bowl of soup and a cup of water. Ben's mouth watered at the smell coming from the soup. God, food! He hadn't had real food in months…

Mal carefully spooned the soup into his mouth. He savored the taste, the liquid soothing his sore throat. He would've fed himself but one arm was in a sling while the other wrist was bandaged from being broken. Mal set the bowl in his lap, the warmth a comfort. He was used to feeling nothing but pain and cold stone. Anything different from that was amazing. Mal's soft touch was heavenly.


	6. Chapter 6

Evie sat by the window, staring out at the snow. She sighed, a tear making its way down her cheek as she thought about her best friend's boyfriend. Ben had suffered so much at the hands of Maleficent. Thank god the evil faery hadn’t broken him. She'd come close though. Evie could tell from the way Ben clung to Mal like a lifeline. Mal had barely left his side the past week. She refused to let Ben be alone. The king was perfectly fine with that, of course, after having been alone in the dungeons for months.

A hand settled on her shoulder. Evie smiled, leaning into it.

"Hi Doug."

"You're thinking too much."

Evie leaned her head back until she could look up at Doug, the half-dwarf smiling down at her. There was concern in his eyes, though.

"We're safe here, Evie. We can relax."

Evie nodded, wiping away her tear.

"I know."

Out of all the Auradonians, Doug had been the least hurt. Evie had managed to save him from the dungeons within the first three days by simply telling her mother she wanted a slave. Her mother had been happy to oblige, making sure that Doug was taken away in front of his family. Sadly, Evie couldn't justify taking any more of his family as slaves. Luckily Doug was an only child, so he didn't have any siblings to be constantly worried about. It was more like an overall worry for his uncles and cousins in the dungeons. 

Evie's mom had definitely taken some revenge on Snow White, but it had been nowhere near the level of Maleficent's torture of Audrey.

Doug had been with Evie since the beginning of this nightmare. He hadn't left her chambers for months, but he was able to help them plan the great escape over secure phonelines.

Evie put her hand over Doug's, taking in comfort from his warm presence by her side.

"We have to go back at some point, though. We have to stop them."

"We will, but right now we need to gather our strength. We're stronger than them, Evie. Good always defeats evil. We'll prove it, just give us a little time to recuperate."

"Do we have time?"

~ ~ ~ ~

Ben lay curled up on his side with his head rested on Mal's lap. He breathed easier than he had in months, a peace running through him as his girlfriend's hand played with his hair. A book hovered over the space next to him, so that if it fell it wouldn't hit him. Mal read aloud from the book, filling the space with her soft voice. It was music to his ears. Being able to do this was…it was beyond words how wonderful it felt. Ben had thought he would never know anything but pain again after all Maleficent had done to him. 

Maleficent. He frowned, thinking about HIS people that she was repressing. Mal's voice stopped. Ben glanced up to see her looking at him with concern.

"What's wrong? Are you in pain?"

Ben shook his head and the hand started playing with his hair again.

"We need to stop her, Mal."

"We will. You need to get your strength back first, though. And that means not thinking about her for now. You fought her off so long, Ben. She didn't break you."

"She almost did."

"But she didn't. You're strong, stronger than her. You just need a little time to recover and then we can plan our fight against her."

Ben sighed, reluctantly nodding. He knew he needed to recover before he would be of any use to the rebellion. He relaxed as Mal kept up the soothing motion of petting his hair, leaning into her hand.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Really short chapter, but it's to let you know I'm not abandoning this story. Updates to come.

Two weeks had passed before Ben was able to limp around with a cane. Because Fairy Godmother had never trained Jane in magic, the girl couldn't help heal Ben's leg. Luckily they had managed to set it right so that it was healing pretty well on its own. He'd still likely need a cane for a long time, if not the rest of his life.

They made plans, with Mal keeping in contact with several V.K.s who didn't want their parents to rule Auradon. Captain Uma, Ursula's daughter, was one such ally. She and her crew were stuck doing their parents dirty work while their parents enjoyed villiandom in Auradon. 

Word spread through a lot of the VKs that the King was willing to let them stay in Auradon when the villains were defeated. And they WOULD be DEFEATED. Countries outside of Auradon were already fighting against Maleficent. She hadn't managed to gain any territory outside the country yet. 

While Auradon was big, it wasn't the world. And with the majority of the VKs on their side, Ben had a secret army at his hands to help defeat Maleficent. And he had insider information. Uma's crew was big enough and sneaky enough to get information for Ben from all over Auradon.

Ben was spending his time recovering and training. He had to practice for hours with the sword, knowing he had a weak point in his leg. But now he had a special cane that Mal had enchanted to help him. It was stronger than stone, but light as the lightest sword. He could use the cane as an extra weapon if he had no weapon on him. He learned to endure walking without the cane, and fighting without the cane. His weakness became a strength he could use against his enemies. Time went faster in their Antarctica home because Mal used a spell to speed up time for them inside the house. While two weeks passed to the outside world, six months passed to them. 

Mal had used a spell so Uma could get information to them through the time bubble. Her reports came often enough to keep them completely updated on the happenings of the rebellion and in Auradon.

All of them trained in the time they had, knowing that the spell would end after two weeks in the real world. They had six months to recover before they joined the fight again.


	8. Chapter 8

Two weeks- six months, had passed. The time bubble faded away. They had a plan. It started with the VK's. They would take Auradon back from within, and get in touch with the Rebellion once the kingdom was secure. Help wasn't coming from outside, it hadn't yet.

Ben led the VK's in a raid of the prison camps that Maleficent had set up. They took the camps with no casualties, the camps guarded by goblins. Goblins were easy to take down with Mal there to convince them where their loyalty really should lie. The amount of power Mal had shown was amazing. With Uma, Evie and Jane on their side, the amount of power they had was massive.

Ursula hadn't been interested in the world and had retreated back to the ocean to do whatever she wanted and battle it out with King Tritan. Her magic was off the table. The Evil Queen was an Enchantress, and Evie had inherited some magic from her. Nowhere near Mal or Uma's level, but still impressive. And more than what the Evil Queen had, especially after having been locked on the island for so long.

There were two prison camps side-by-side. One was where women were kept, one for men. Maleficent had thought breaking up families in such a way would keep the prisoners more compliant.

They took them both at the same time, leading them out to the surrounding woods. Families reunited with each other as they were transported to the village in Antarctica. It was a village now that had been created during their two week/six month stay. There were at least a dozen houses all the size of small mansions. Each "house" could hold at least twenty or thirty people. They'd just saved two hundred citizens of Auradon.

The group crowded in the center of their new village. Ben stood on a platform to speak to his people. He gave a rousing speech that had all the adults, and many children, willing to fight alongside the VK's for freedom.

That same night they managed to take another three prison camps from around Auradon. They gathered an army of nearly a thousand Auradonians, and at least a hundred VK's. This was more than enough to take the capital, especially with magic-enchanted weaponry. Enchanted by both dark and light magic working together. The forces of magic on the same side would be so much stronger than Maleficent's magic. Except she had the wand still.

That's why, in the early hours of morning, they stormed the Castle. Maleficent met them in the ballroom, laughing maniacally as she raised the wand. Mal, Jane, Evie and Uma joined hands.

"Magic of all,  
Dark and light,  
Join together,   
In this fight,  
Give us the wand,  
Give us the might,"

The four girls spoke in perfect unison, repeating the spell as Mal held out her free hand towards the wand. The wand shook in Maleficent's grip before flying into Mal's hand. Maleficent screamed in rage, turning into a dragon. Ben had already moved into position so that he was ready with a sword. He battled the dragon as the Girls managed a spell that turned Maleficent human again.

Maleficent still had her scepter, though. She proved quite the foe. Four magic users against Maleficent, while Ben, Jay and Carlos battled her minions. Uma and her crew were fighting at the doors, along with several Auradonians. They kept the number of minions inside the ballroom down to a manageable level.

Ben broke through the ranks of minions, using his sword to cut through the scepter. A bright burst of light blinded nearly everyone in the room. Ben managed to shield his eyes, having been at the heart of the light. He blinked, quickly raising his sword to block the blow from Maleficent's half of the scepter that she still held. 

Maleficent and Ben were locked in battle. Around them, others fought on. Ben swung left and blocked right with his arm. He took the blow, absorbing the force with his arm. He'd definitely have a bruise there.

Ben knocked Maleficent's legs out from under her, tackling her to the ground with his sword at her throat. Maleficent chuckled coldly.

"You really think you can do it, boy? You? Kill me?!"

Maleficent stared down the boy she had nearly broken. Ben met her stare head-on. He didn't flinch like she expected, like she'd trained him to.

"I will do whatever it takes to save my kingdom."

He held the sword close to her throat, motioning with his head for Mal and the Girls to step forward.

"Magic of light and dark,  
We call you here to make your mark  
Bind her magic from any use  
No exceptions, no excuse"

Chains came out of the air and bound themselves around Maleficent. They soaked into her skin, becoming a tattoo across her skin. Ben stood up, keeping his sword at Maleficent's throat. Maleficent lifted her hand. Nothing happened. She waved her hand. Ben let her, knowing the spell was, well, spell-proof.

Ben sheathed his sword, smirking at the now-defenseless Mistress of Evil. 

"Evil NEVER wins."


	9. Chapter 9

Ben sent out a broadcast two hours later. It reached all the kingdoms.

"This is the King of Auradon. Thank you for your help against the Villains. They are being rounded up now. Maleficent has been detained, her magic bound. Auradon is safe once more."

Ben stood in front of the camera, Mal and Uma to his right, Audrey and Jane to his left. They made quite the image, VK's and AK's standing side-by-side.

"The children of villains will be allowed to remain in Auradon. They are not their parents, and have done nothing to deserve their parents' punishment."

He was dressed in an outfit similar to that he wore on the day of the coronation, only with more leather. He stood tall and sure of himself, more sure than he had ever been before. He looked healthy compared to how everyone assumed he would look. Only two weeks ago he had been in the dungeons being tortured to within an inch of life. Yet he stood before the cameras with the confidence of a king who had the loyalty of his people. And he did. He had been tortured FOR his people, and he had withstood that and come out stronger. 

Many Auradonians who had been in the prison camps accepted the VK's with little resistance. They had seen firsthand the abuse many villains laid against their own children. Children who were innocent, and who had attempted to help the Auradonians in small ways while they were in captivity.

There were some who would still resist change, Ben knew that. It wouldn't be a perfect transition, but he would make it work. He had a new council, since most of the old one was either dead or in the dungeons. He had freed them, yes, but they would be the most resistant to change. They couldn't see that their own mistakes had condemned them to a situation like Maleficent getting loose.

"All Villains with magic will have their magic bound. The Isle will no longer exist as it once did. Instead, a prison will be built in its place to house the villains."

The prison was already constructed. Magic had been used to pull together several different buildings on the Isle into a working prison. The villains wouldn't have as much freedom as they did before, meaning they would have less contact with each other to plot together.

"Again, this is the King of Auradon. The villains are no longer in control. It's safe to return home."

The broadcast ended.

~ ~ ~ ~

Ben led his soldiers in the capture of the villains that had made their homes on the outskirts of Auradon. There was a healthy mix of Auradonian citizens and VK's who fought side-by-side. They defeated the last of the villains only two days after they had taken back the capital.

~ ~ ~ ~ 

Fairy Godmother, the King-Father and the Queen-Mother returned to Auradon three days after the broadcast. Jane ran forward to embrace her mother. Ben, Mal, Uma, Jane and Audrey were standing at the gates, waiting for them. Ben leaned on his cane as he limped forward a few steps to greet his parents. Belle held her son in her arms for the first time in almost four months. Tears poured from her eyes.

"Ben."

"I'm okay, mom."

The King-Father stepped forward, putting his hand on his son's back. He smiled at his son before frowning at Uma and Mal.

"Ben, you cannot let the children of Villains-"

"Stop."

King Beast stopped in shock. Ben had never interrupted him before.

"They helped save Auradon. They're staying. This is not your kingdom anymore, Dad. It's ours. Together. Whether you like it or not, they're staying. One day Mal will be my Queen."

Belle and Fairy Godmother gasped in surprise, the King-Father looked shocked.

"Ben, you're too you-"

"You do not get to decide my life anymore. You gave up that right when you ran away."

"Ben, we didn't-"

"I was tortured. For three months. Mal spent that entire time plotting a way to save me, to save Auradon. Her mother would have killed her in an instant if she had known Mal was fighting against her. The VK's worked together AGAINST their parents because they knew that evil does NOT win. They've felt firsthand the abuse from their parents, and they chose to FIGHT them regardless of the risks. You escaped. And while you were gone, time moved forward for us left in Auradon."

Ben took a step back, away from his parents. Mal stepped up to his side, taking his free hand in hers.

"We are a united front. VK's and AK's. Your mistakes came back to make US suffer. We will be the reason that never happens again."

Jane stepped away from her mother, taking her place next to Audrey on Ben's left side, making it clear where her loyalty lay.

"This is a new world, where others won't be punished for their parents' mistakes. It's time to embrace the change, Dad. You didn't win this war. WE did. And I will protect my people, VK's included. WE are Auradon."


End file.
